While exploring the Sol, you will come across several space stations or man-made vessels. Knowing how to dock to access these areas can be very beneficial. However, this is something that is not available from the beginning — it is also not explained very well. In this guide, we will go over everything you need to know about docking in Starfield.
Starfield Docking
When it comes to docking in Starfield, it is useful for a few different things. These include but are not limited to trading, questlines, battles, and just exploration. This is why it is crucial to have a good understanding of how the mechanic works. Aside from docking, we have also detailed some information on hailing ships.
How to Hail Ships
The ability to hail ships is a fundamental component of Starfield. Aside from facilitating interaction with other vessels, it also provides unique questlines. Here’s how to hail ships in Starfield:
- Hailing a ship requires you to fly close to it.
- The active target is selected by pressing A on a controller or E on a PC.
- Hold the designated button to begin hailing the targeted ship.
- To communicate with the ship, hold the button once the on-screen prompt appears. This can result in a dialogue, a questline, or a simple conversation.
Docking with Non-Hostiles
The docking process in Starfield is fairly straightforward but requires a little maneuvering. Here is how you can dock with non-hostiles:
- Select the desired target by pressing A on Controller or E on PC.
- Try to maintain a safe distance and avoid collisions.
- You will get a prompt to activate the Docking Mode when you are 500-meters away. Once again, press the button to start docking.
- Your ship will connect seamlessly with the target after the Docking Mode is activated.
- You can board, undock, or explore from your ship’s pilot seat.
Docking with Enemy Ships
Before docking with an enemy ship in Starfield, you will need to disable their engines. Here’s how you can do it:
- When docking with an enemy ship, damage their engines until the “ENG” symbol appears next to their HP.
- Upon disabling the engines, dock with a non-hostile ship in the same manner as with a non-hostile one.
- To dock with an enemy ship, press the Docking Mode button when near it.
Unlocking Docking Ability
The ability to dock is not available at the start of Starfield. In order to unlock this, you will need to progress through The Old Neighborhood questline.
As part of this quest, you will journey to Nova Galactic Staryard. When you get there, you will get instructions on docking. Follow the on-screen instructions to dock ships.
This is everything we have on how to dock in Starfield. If there is anything else that you would like to add, be sure to let us know in the comments below!